Cosmic Demon

Chapter 258 Variables, Game Theory!
If everyone had their health bars displayed, Tia would probably be able to see that Qin Shi's "terrifying amount of health," formed from intense life force, was steadily decreasing.

Its corrosive properties have not failed!
Its upright figure, covered by that thick, emerald-green air film, was constantly "losing health"!
Decrease by one point per second!
Unfortunately, Qin Shi's health bar is a whopping six figures, totaling over 100,000.

That long string of zeros is enough to make anyone feel despair.

"Something must have gone wrong! He has immunity to damage? Then he shouldn't last long."

The powerful female of the human-faced spider clan was unaware of Qin Shi's true blood volume. She still harbored a sliver of hope, finding it unbelievable and even suspecting that her corrosive properties had failed to work.

Tia's eyes narrowed slightly, brimming with emerald green.

The fluctuations of vitality are like a mountain roaring and a tsunami surging.

echo!

The ceaseless echo reverberated, and the gas membrane, comparable to strong aqua regia, suddenly tightened, tightly enveloping Qin Shi's body, intending to completely dissolve every inch of his flawless flesh.

The next moment, a strange feeling arose in Tia's mind.

Its once invincible corrosive properties were now like a vast ocean being poured into a dense and heavy planet.

What was originally a tremendous weight suddenly seemed insignificant.

Small!

Tia felt acutely aware of her own insignificance!

When it looked up again, the young face gradually became clear in its dizzying vision.

"It's not enough."

The other person smiled and released his hand, his tall figure exuding an incomparably powerful aura. Just by standing quietly, he radiated boundless majesty.

breathe.

Strands of dissipated air surged toward Qin Shi as his chest heaved.

In the hazy light, it resembled the light and heat radiating from a blazing sun.

"Keep up the good work."

Qin Shi stood firmly on the ground, his eyes looking down arrogantly, while thunder roared and boomed inside the outpost.

The hard ground trembled like waves, stirring up billowing dust.

He looked at Tia with expectant eyes and expressed his will with a commanding tone.

It seems they hope Tia can unleash even greater power to verify her breakthrough of the fifth major limit, achieving a perfect mortal body with unified muscles, bones, skin, and membranes.
-
10!
-
20!
-
50...

In the blink of an eye, Qin Shi felt his health bar being depleted rapidly.

The corrosive properties are not entirely ineffective.

On the contrary, it's getting stronger and stronger!
However, under the resonance and vibration of muscles, bones, skin, and membranes, this corrosive force cannot penetrate the body at all.

"If you can't do it."

Qin Shi grinned slightly, his deep, unfathomable eyes gazing at Tia.

"You'll die!"

Boom, boom, boom!

The latter's heart pounded wildly, her delicate face turned deathly pale, and red filled her vision, obscuring everything else.

It was as if a vast sea of ​​blood had unfolded, and Qin Shi was the sovereign king floating in this boundless sea of ​​blood!

As her heart pounded like a drum, pumping powerful blood to every part of her body, every cell in Tia's body screamed.

Driven by the fear of death, its six pairs of limbs on its back snapped and twisted, mutating and coming together in a bizarre posture.

hum!
The resounding echo shattered the space around Tia, turning it into countless irregular cracks, resembling the compound eyes of a spider, all locking onto Qin Shi!
laugh!
Feeling a slight burning pain, Qin Shi's eyes lit up with surprise.

In the void, hundreds of malevolent spider compound eyes flashed forth, bringing the chaotic and twisted life force to its peak.

The terrifying energy surged like a floodgate opening, instantly engulfing Qin Shi!

The emerald green corrosive properties spread everywhere, releasing a destructive power that evaporates all matter!

"it's a pity……"

Tia's once-robust body withered, like a sack emptied of moisture, her full breasts drooping softly, making her look like a frail woman in her seventies or eighties.

Tia was filled with regret; such a delicious little sweetheart, her flesh and blood melted into a puddle of pus...

But before such a thought could even dissipate, the terrifying and despairing reality plunged Tia into an abyss.

"Your health is decreasing by 5,000 per second, and it lasts for less than three seconds. Well, it seems you've already done your best."

A young voice, tinged with a smile, rose quietly, like a bone-chilling wind blowing out from the open gates of hell.

Qin Shi stretched out his body, and the intense pain that burned through his bones and melted his flesh brought him considerable pleasure.

Lines of text kept appearing on the monument panel—

Refined through countless trials, as immovable as a mountain!

[Armor-stacking achievement progress increased by 10%...]

[You acquire the property of being immune to pain...]

[You have acquired the property of toxin antibodies...]

[The Lawful Achievement has been triggered]

You will ignore this psychological attack...

[You must remain conscious...]

A torrent of information washed over Qin Shi's consciousness.

With this comes another boost to the mortal body, which is already nearing its limit!

Tendons, bones, skin, and membranes—these four limits, like a thick block of iron being compressed, are tempered to become incredibly dense and hard.

Bang bang bang bang!

The space where Qin Shi was located collapsed slightly, as if a huge planet was releasing its gravity and gravitational pull, causing the atmosphere to bend and everything to break apart!
"You've worked hard."

Qin Shi's lips curled up in a gentle smile, as if offering a comforting gesture:
"It's not your fault that you couldn't give me enough fun."

With a tall and straight posture, he raised his arm, flipped his palm, and pressed down, covering the incredulous Tia.

With a deafening roar, the entire outpost shook violently, like an extremely intense earthquake, causing the walls of buildings within a radius of nearly a kilometer to be torn off, collapsed, and shattered!
Click, click, click!

The tree-branch-like cracks spread and expanded rapidly like lightning, covering every corner.

A few minutes later, the sturdy building complex that had stood in the vast wilderness finally collapsed after a feeble groan.

……

……

boom!
The sound of a hand slapping the table rang out.

At the general command post of Baiyang Fortress City, a clear emotional fluctuation flashed in Tai Junzi's eyes; the direction of the war sand table was unexpected.

Yao Guodong lay sprawled on the large tabletop, showing none of the dignity and demeanor expected of the highest-ranking local official; it was he who had just lost his composure and slammed his fist on the table.

Yao Guodong muttered to himself:

"An elite family member with a disaster level of '2' suddenly dies, allowing the reconnaissance team to survive... This is a low-probability event, isn't it?"

After a few milliseconds of model deduction, the answer was obtained by the Tai Junzi model:
"Yes. Originally, the survival rate of this reconnaissance team was less than five percent."

If a low-probability event occurs and leads to a nearly impossible final outcome, it can only mean that there are 'variables' involved.

Yao Guodong shook his head and checked the number of his own people in this polluted area.

"The new recruits at the Yellow Springs Training Camp... the reconnaissance squad... they don't seem like the kind of second-level dependents who can solve disasters."

Yao Guodong's extensive experience on the front lines over the years has taught him to respect facts rather than follow dogma.

“Gao Pao, Zhao Su, Qin Shi… they’re all greenhorns who haven’t graduated yet. Strange, could it be that unrecorded personnel have appeared in the contaminated area?” Tai Junzi also used data models to make judgments based on the ever-increasing volume of information.

"The death of a family member who causes a disaster at the second level means that 'that person's' influence factor is at least 'strong,' which is the third level."

The Eastern Xia Supreme Research Institute has a set of scoring standards for the relatives of organisms in the polluted area.

There are nine energy levels in total, namely "Paper", "Parallel", "Strong", "Fierce", and "Mad".

These five energy levels are the most numerous among the creatures in the family.

The subsequent "quasi-gods," "gods," "outside the old doctrines," and "outside the doctrines" are at the level of chaotic great demons, and cannot appear in the material world in a conventional form.

"Investigate! Call that guy Fu Lei!"

Yao Guodong immediately said.

"I will record this unusual incident for future investigation."

Tai Junzi frowned slightly.

If it were just the "strong" energy of the third level appearing in the polluted area where the Poplar Walled City is stationed, it wouldn't be so bad.

The most worrying and troublesome issue is actually that unfamiliar entity, not "strong".

"If it reaches the fourth energy level 'Fierce' or even the fifth energy level 'Madness', the entire Poplar Wall Fortress City and its defense line will be under great threat."

Tai Junzi relayed this assessment back to the central city, awaiting a reply from the Governor's Office.

Looking across the first line of defense, which covers thousands of kilometers, it is almost impossible to find a powerful entity capable of confronting a fifth-level being.

We must mobilize top generals from the rear, and even deploy advanced military forces.

"The Seventh Battle Group is responsible for the defense of this Great Expansion Movement. The source of this anomaly may well be them."

"Tai Junzi suddenly said."

"According to the defense regulations, the Seventh Battle Group will not launch an offensive unless it receives a request for assistance."

Yao Guodong shook his head:

"However, according to the specific deployment of the first line of defense, even if the White Poplar Fortress faces the impact of the Familiar Creatures and suffers devastating damage, it may still allow the Seventh Battle Group to launch an attack, leaving the outer defense line vulnerable."

Tai Junzi chose to remain silent because the purpose of the first line of defense on the western front was to deal with the frenzied counterattacks of the creatures residing in the contaminated zone.

Simply put, the Poplar Fortress was actually a reserve unit on the sacrifice list.

"Yao joined the army and guarded the fortress without ever complaining or regretting it."

Yao Guodong's face was resolute as he said in a deep voice:
"It's just a bit of a pity that the flame of Eastern Xia civilization has survived for nine hundred years, thanks to the countless 'children' who were nurtured and sacrificed themselves one after another."

Although they were born citizens of Dongxia, it was only natural for them to be so, but... they were too young.

……

……

After leaving the "machine room" at the Governor's Mansion, Feng Wuyang worked tirelessly as the Great Expansion Movement officially began and was fully implemented.

Like the blazing sun, their spiritual consciousness connects with Tai Jun, offering a transcendent perspective as they overlook Hengzhou's rising star.

He had a complete view of the major battlefields on both the eastern and western fronts.

"Continue to increase the troop strength at the front of the Eastern Front. Seventy percent of the troops from Bolin Fortress City will be deployed to the contaminated zone number 477."

The reconnaissance corps continued to gather information on the activities and intentions of the familiar creatures in the area, especially the 'Silver Snow Wolf' clan…

Feng Wuyang's emotional fluctuations spread like the tide, transmitting messages through Taijun.

This massive workload lasted for nearly eighteen hours.

The governor of Hengzhou, a rising star, had just disconnected from his mental link and was "off work" to rest.

Less than two months after the Great Expedition began, Feng Wuyang was visibly aged and decayed, with the wrinkles of time etched all over his face. Only his eyes shone brighter and gleamed like stars.

“Your body is sending you warnings, and I have a duty to remind you, Your Excellency, that you should rest.”

Tai Jun appeared silently, like a ghost.

"The western front will soon become hell."

Feng Wuyang shook his head. He sat in the dark hall without turning on the lights, like a silent statue.

"I must ensure that the sacrifice of every soldier on the Western Front is worthwhile."

A slight ripple appeared in Tai Jun's usually calm eyes as he uttered extremely sarcastic and sharp words.

"It is said that when humans are condemned by both morality and conscience, they will deliberately create pain and even torture themselves in order to escape reality and avoid being interrogated."

Your Excellency the Governor, are you the same?

Feng Wuyang smiled, his heart unmoved, and gave his reply:

“That’s right. My soul feels like it’s being roasted on the surface of the sun. Every second I hear the voices of those fallen soldiers, bleeding profusely, their bodies mutilated, their souls drifting in the polluted zone, eventually merging into the Netherworld… And in a sense, I am the murderer who killed them.”

These candid words left Tai Jun speechless for a long time.

The hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

“When I was in school, my tactics teacher was Commander Han Qingyu of the Sixth Regiment. I was severely criticized by him during one of my lessons.”

Feng Wuyang seemed to have become interested in talking and slowly began to speak:

"That was a simulation test of clearing contaminated areas. I had two regiments under my command, responsible for raids and sweeps."

It went smoothly at first, but halfway through, a small team of 28 people got lost in a dangerous area.

Because we have a significant advantage, I believe that twice the number of troops would be enough to rescue the squad and, incidentally, turn them into a sharp dagger to pierce the heart.

But I miscalculated. Commander Han Qingyu deliberately deployed the Black Knife Clan, known as 'born assassins'. They possessed extremely strong stealth abilities and used the terrain to surround my troops, creating the illusion of total annihilation.

In an attempt to provoke me and influence my judgment, they even mutilated the soldiers' corpses, committing horrific acts.

They achieved their goal. On the one hand, having maintained a favorable wind, I couldn't accept the sudden disadvantage and was afraid of losing points; on the other hand, I was genuinely angry and wished I could kill all those bastards.

Taijun listened patiently. In fact, by retrieving Feng Wuyang's academic records, the results had already surfaced in the data.

Ke Taijun remained silent, unusually abandoning the indifferent emotions inherent in active consciousness, his eyes softening as if he were meeting an old friend on a rainy night.

"I took the bait. As my forces dwindled and casualties mounted, I became like a manic-depressive with superhuman strength, trying to punch and kick the air."

My mistake caused the defenses of the contaminated area to be torn apart, resulting in seven relocations and four counterattacks by the affected organisms, with the intensity rising sharply.

All the trainees in that mock test were deemed to have failed.

Commander Han Qingyu said to me very seriously, "Feng Wuyang, if a coward like you were to become a decision-maker on the battlefield, he would definitely complain to the military headquarters, believing that this was an intentional massacre."

Feng Wuyang laughed heartily:

"When I later became the planetary governor, I met with Commander Han Qingyu, who was reporting to the capital. He told me that when my name entered the military, he did write a letter of recommendation, stating my poor performance at the military academy."

But my superior, a good teacher who had only been at the battalion level before retiring, also gave a very serious reply to Commander Han Qingyu.

He said that while it is true that a compassionate leader cannot command an army, valuing every life and not treating soldiers going to the front lines as expendable resources is also an excellent approach.

In several large-scale military exercises, Colonel Feng strived to achieve the greatest results with the fewest casualties.

Commander Han, even after being reprimanded by you, this child has not changed his nature and has even tried to pursue a more perfect choice.

Please believe that the flame of civilization in Dongxia has burned brightly across the Milky Way not merely because we possess the Nine Marshals and the Four Pillars…

Feng Wuyang stood up, the bright lights casting his long shadow on the enormous war sand table.

"I will not leave the legacy of the Star God to future generations, nor will I let every life that sacrificed for the Great Expansion die in vain."

To expect 100% success at a 20% cost is nothing short of a pipe dream.

But if I add myself, it will increase to forty percent, which would give me a chance to win.

(End of this chapter)